The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-12

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from the plow ought to be welcomed
in our rotations. Whenever, how
ever, from stress of circumstances
oats cannot bic successfully grown,
and corn hasto be the principal grain
food for stock, every arrangement
should be made to cultivate the crop
with broad cast narrowing during
early stages of growth, aid with two.
horse cultivators afterwards. so as to
do away with the necessity of hoe.
work entirely, and bring the cost Of
production to minimum. AS stated
on former occasions, we are inclined
to think that some varieties of the
sorghum, such as Kaffir corn or early
maturing Milo Maize, might we'll be
substituted for a part of the corn
crop. They are more certain crops
on uplands in dry seasons, have
proved to be good horse food, and are
desirable for increasing the variety
of food. After food crops arc amply
provided for, whatever land remains
may be set aside for money crops.
The next question to be decided is
the kind and quality Of manure to be
used. The drift of experience in late
years has been decidedly in the di.
rection of composts. The stable and
lot manure of the farm, together with
it's cotton seed, composted with acid
phosphate and kainit, is at present
the most popular fertilizer in use.
1t Is complete manure Gin the sense
of containing everything needed by
plants)' and in many respects one of
the best proportioned manures to be
had. 1t is adapted to all crops and
most soils. Next to this, in com.
pleteness and correct proportion Of
ingredients, is q mixture of cotton
seed meal, acid phosphate and per.
haps kainit. Five hundred pounds
of meal, fifteen hundred pounds of
acid phosphate and five hundred
pounds of kainit make first.class
fertilizer, similar to the best ammo.
mated goods, and may be applied in
similar manner and in equal quaint.
ties. In regard to the quantities Of
manure which may be applied with
greatest profit, much depends on the
condition Of the soil. If it has been
we'll manured for several years pre-
viously, heavier doses may be ap-
piled than when starting with poor,
exhausted soil. In other words, rich
land will take large applications Of
manure more kindly than poor land.
On poor soil more moderate applica-
tions pay best. In all cases deep
breaking and thorough cultivation
enhance greatly the profits from ma.
nure, and unless farmer is prepared
to carry out these conditions fully
and faithfully, he bad better not in
vest money in fertilizers.
Should land be broken now or later
in spring9 The custom Of the coun.
try has been to commence breaking
stubble land Immediately after Christ.
mas. This custom arose in part
from the practice, before the war, of
cultlvatlng just as many acres as
possible. The consequence was if a
farmer did not start his plows early,
he could not get through before
planting time. Stubble land was
plowed first, because it was consid-
cred desirable that the vegetable de-
bris should be buried in time to rot
and feed the ensuing crop, and be-
cause such land when plowed early
did not run together and bake as
badly as clean land. AS regards the
first reason, allowing vegetable mat.
ter time to rot, we do not think there
is much force in it, for practically
very little rotting takes place till
warm weather sets in, and because,
secondly, it is better for the erotting
to go on during the growing season,
supplying plant food from day to day
as the crop needs it. The second
reason, to.wit time does not apply
with the same force now as in the
olden time, because the area Of cul.
ttivation has been 80 largely reduced.
The object Of plowing is to loosen the
soil, to undo the packing effects of
rain. Land that is broken early is
liable to be packed again by
rains. before planting time. One
heavy rain may undo pretty much
all the work Of the plow. AS a
rule therefore it is better to de-
fer the breaking Of clay soils just as
late as it can be safely delayed. One
must be watchful however, not to be
80 late about it as to be caught by
land drying off and getting so hard
in the spring that he cannot pillow it.
AS stubble and rested lands are less
packed by rain than clean land, they
should be plowed first. New ground
also may be plowed early for the
same reason. The general practice
is to burn this off so as to get rid Of
the supcrabundant leaves and trash
Such practice is to be deprecated; it
looks only to present gain, and is
blind to future and permanent loss.
Far better put up with the inconYe.